The subject matter described herein relates generally to an electronics system and, more particularly, to a circuit card assembly of an electronics system.
Most modern electronics systems function using at least one circuit card assembly. Many known circuit card assemblies include a printed circuit board on which at least one chip (or other electronic component) is mounted. Because the chips are typically soldered to the printed circuit board, the resulting height (and levelness) of each chip on the printed circuit board is permitted to vary within predefined manufacturing tolerances that account for variations in solder thickness and other assembly-related variables.
Moreover, the various chips of a circuit card assembly generate heat during operation of the electronics system, and it is desirable to actively cool the chips in order to keep them functioning properly. In that regard, the chips of at least some circuit card assemblies are conduction-cooled using cooling structures that physically contact the chips to transfer heat away from the chips. However, the possible variance in the height (and levelness) of the chips on the printed circuit board has been known to result in less than desirable contact between the cooling structures and their respective chips, thereby resulting in a less than desirable cooling effect.